Improvement in ore-separators



UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

JOHN comma, or IDAHO srnmcs, COLORADO TERRITORY.

' IMPROVEMENT m ORE-SJIEPARATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,168, dated January 6, 1874 5 application filed July 19, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN OoLLoM, of Idaho 1 Springs, in the county of Clear Creek and Territory of Colorado, have invented a new and Improved Ore-Grading Machine, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists of two or more grading-sieves in the upper portion of a tank of water having appropriate discharge-passages for diflerent grades of material escaping from the sieves, which are actuated in the water by suitable mechanism, and also having a washheavy to settle to the bottom of the water in said tank and convey it to the receptacle for it. Figure 1 is a transverse sectional elevation of my improved ore-grading machine taken on the line as m of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line y 3 of Fig. 1, and

a Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of Fig. 1 on the line 2 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents a water-tank, which is preferably made with two inclined sides and vertical ends, and has a hopper,B, inside, with a narrow slotted opening, 0, at the bottom; also, an inclosed escape-passage, D, leading from the opening G at the bottom of the 110pper up over the top of the hopper A into. another hopper, E. F and G represent a couple of grading-sieves mounted on a shaking shoe,

H, in the upper portion of the hopper A,"

which is actuated by a crankshaft, I. The crushed ore is discharged, together with a stream of water, upon the upperend of the upper sieve. The coarse matters escaping 011' the lower end of sieve F pass out through the side of the hopper by the spout J, and those from sieve G escape by the spout K, while those falling through sieve Gr, also through the opening 0, escape bythe spout K. In order to separate the slime-water and the lighter particles, I attach a washing apparatus, consisting of the water tank or box L,

into the top of which a supply of fresh water is caused to flow, and from which the water is caused to 'flow into tank A through the passages M NO, against the streams of ore, so as to separatethe fine particles and slime-water from the larger and heavier grains,' and carry them up through passage D into tank E. The water which, enters at 0 encounters the falling ore at the passage 0, and there separates the light matters. All these passages for admitting water to the tank A are provided with a regulating valve, P, by which the currents are regulated, as required.

In practice the spouts J, K, and K discharge into water-tanks in which the water-level is kept about as high as that in tank A, so that the streams flowing into tank A are not carried oft with the ore. Any niunber of grading-sieves may be employed in a gang, and any number of grades can be made.

1n the tank B to which the slime-water and light particles'oi' ore are carried, there is a siphon-pipe, Q, connected with a long perforated pipe, R, in the angle at the bottom of the tank,

which collects the particles which are heavy enough to settle, and the siphon carries them out of the tank into the proper receptacle.

The part V of the siphon outside of the tank.

E is made of flexible substance, so that it can be put inside of the tank to be filled for setting the siphon in operation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patexit- 1. The combination of a set of inclined submerged grading-sieves, a water-tank, and apparatus for actuating the sieves, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of means for injecting currents of fresh water, and the escape-passage D with the submerged sieves, substantially as specified.

3. The inverted T-shaped siphon-pipe, com bined with a V-shaped receiving-tank,E, for the slime-water, substantially as specified.

4. The said siphon-pipe, provided with a flexible portion, V, substantially as specified.

JOHN OOLLOM.

Witnesses Tnos. J. DEAN, W. A. Boss. 

